


Save You

by plutointhestars



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: F/M, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:03:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plutointhestars/pseuds/plutointhestars
Summary: In which y/n and Hector continue to flee from the council of sisters, finding refuge among an unlikely acquaintance with fresh scars and a cold personality.Part two of,'Rescue You'.
Relationships: Hector (Castlevania)/Reader
Comments: 53
Kudos: 92





	1. Seeking Refuge

Ever since fleeing the castle, Hector had been different. It wasn't necessarily a bad different but different nonetheless. He just wasn't quite the same man he was before. He had made it his responsibility to keep you and the boy safe, he had also excelled in his magic training along the way. That was the thing with Hector now, he was always keeping himself busy.

When you weren't travelling, he was either training his magic or practising with his hammer. If he wasn't doing that, he was playing with Cesar, collecting firewood or hunting for dinner. You had barely seen him rest at all since leaving the castle and you knew he wasn't sleeping much. He was trying to be strong, trying to avoid the hurt he was still feeling, but you knew he was still having nightmares.

He'd say her name in his sleep, pleading with her to spare him for the night. You would gently shake him awake, wiping his tears as he came to, but then he would get up and tell you he was going for a walk. He wasn't talking to you, he wasn't confiding in you and it hurt. It hurt seeing him in pain, suffering alone.

You had tried to get him to open up but he shut you down every time. He was still ashamed, still thinking that if he broke down in front of you again you would think less of him. Even when you had told him time and time again that you love him no matter what. Nothing that had happened to him made him any less of a man and he knew that. He just didn't believe it.

He was coping and you only hoped that in time he would learn to talk about what happened back at the castle in those days during which you were apart. Whatever Lenore asked of him was too much and it did something to him, it dragged him back down into the darkness again but still, he fought to get away from them, from her. You admired him for that.

As for you, thankfully your wounds were not too bad and mostly only left behind some nasty bruises which were now all but healed. It was surprising that you hadn't broken a bone or at least cracked a rib given how hard Lenore had kicked you and thrown you around but you were used to the cruelty of the world, something Hector had only just truly learned of himself.

You were getting by, just about. The boy was still silent, not once uttering a word. Instead, he spoke through gestures. A small nod of his head, a smile, a frown, that was how he communicated. He seemed to feel somewhat comfortable with you and Hector, whom he had warmed up to pretty quickly. Although Hector was dealing with his own issues, he always made sure that the boy was okay. The only real issues you faced were the vampires that were surely tracking you each and every day along with the lack of food to share between the three of you, Cezar and the horses.

It had been far too long since any of you had seen civilisation. You dared not pass through any towns since you knew that people would talk. If you wanted to get away, to truly get away, you needed to cover your tracks and to do that you needed to limit your contact with other people.

"This is where you had in mind?" Hector questioned, furrowing his brows at the castle before him.

"I said you wouldn't like it."

After far too long in the wilderness, you had finally arrived at your destination, Dracula's castle. A part of you had hoped it was unoccupied but the two impaled rotting bodies decorating the outside told you otherwise. Nonetheless, you jumped down from your horse and signalled for Hector to remain a few paces behind with the boy.

Before you could even reach the bodies, a sword was up against your neck but funnily enough, this sword seemingly had no owner as no arm held it up.

"What are you doing here?"

There he was, the man whom you knew this sword belonged to. It had been so long since you last saw him, the last time was before his mother died. He was different now, cold even.

"Alucard. We-"

"Why is he here?" Alucard scowled at Hector, seemingly recognising him as one of his father's generals.

You sighed and briefly glanced down at the sword that was still threatening to take your life, "We had nowhere else to go. Please, I'll explain everything. We really mean no harm."

"Neither did they." The half-vampire sighed but lowered his sword nonetheless.

"Thank-"

"If you try anything I won't hesitate to kill you all, even that little puppy, understood?" He cut you off, seemingly directing his words more towards Hector over you.

"Understood." You confirmed before following the man inside.

The boy was afraid, that was clear. He had seen little magic in his life and what of it he had seen was never anything good. First, your magic when you helped the mercenaries attack his home. Now, a magical sword that didn't need to be held in order to kill. He was afraid but you and Hector knew of the half-vampire and you knew he wasn't a bad person. Something had happened to him, something that forced him to pull his walls up. From when you knew him, not that you ever truly knew him all that well, he always seemed closeted but he was never this hostile before. Maybe it was his father, maybe it was those two bodies outside.

Alucard led you through to the kitchen, not once uttering a word as you followed him down the halls.

"Here," Alucard approached the boy with an indifferent expression, holding out a fresh apple for him, "You look hungry."

The boy clung to Hector's arm, cautiously scanning his eyes over the hand that was extended towards him before making brief eye-contact with the half-vampire. Hector glanced down with softened eyes and nodded his head slightly, reassuring the boy that it was okay, and so, he slowly reached out and took the apple.

"Thank you." You spoke for the boy, knowing that he wouldn't do so himself.

Alucard, however, simply grunted and took a seat at the table, "So, I believe you were going to explain everything?"

"We were prisoners at Carmilla's castle. We managed to escape thanks to Hector's night creatures but we have no home, nowhere to go. We thought the castle might be empty after, well, you know. We didn't know you would be here and I don't want to ask anything of you but please let us stay for a while." You pleaded, bowing your head to show your sincerity.

"Do you want to know what happened to the last people I allowed to stay here? All that is left of them are those bodies outside. Are you sure you still want to stay?"

Hector stepped forward, "We have nowhere else to go, Carmilla will find us. At least- At least let them stay. I understand that you may not be comfortable with me because I aided your father but I now know that was a mistake. I regret helping him, he lied to me so please, at least let them stay. Keep them safe and I'll move on, you never need to see me ever again."

Alucard took a bite out of his own apple, seemingly pondering what to do.

"Hector, you can't do that. I go where you go, I'm not letting you go without me." You argued, but it was clear Hector had already made up his mind.

He wanted to keep you safe. That was how he found the strength to pull the slave ring from his finger back at the castle. Keeping you safe was all he wished for now and if he had to leave you to keep you safe, then so be it.

"Very well." Alucard interrupted you with his decision but Hector simply smiled.

"Thank you. Please, keep them safe."

Hector gave you one last saddened smile and turned to leave.

He was soon stopped in his tracks, however, when Alucard spoke, reinforcing his point that you shouldn't try to cross him."You can all stay, but if you step even an inch out of line I will kill you."

"We won't cause any trouble, you have my word." You were still unsure as to why he was actually allowing you to stay but you were grateful nonetheless.

Not long after that, Alucard offered the three of you a meal. He even had some food for the horses and Cezar. Despite living all on his own here, it seemed as though he was doing quite well for himself but you suspected that was only what you saw on the outside. Back when you were younger, before his mother died, Alucard was different from how he was now. Even though the two of you were never much more than acquaintances, you knew that he must have undergone something terrible to be so hostile towards all of you, even if Hector was once one of his father's generals.

A small part of you wanted to know what had happened to him but you knew better than to ask. You didn't know him and he didn't know you, not anymore. Neither of you were the same people you were all those years ago and what little you did know about each other had changed over the years.

"The two of you can have this room. The boy can have my old room. The dog can go with him, I have a feeling he would be uncomfortable on his own." 

Although the tone in his voice was somewhat lacking in any emotion, you could tell that Alucard at least held some concern for the young boy who travelled with you. You could only hope that should any of you step out of line, as he had said, that he would at least spare the child. That was something you could live with. As long as the boy survived and would be safe here, that was all that mattered beyond the safety of you and Hector. You were the reason the child had nowhere else to go after all. It was your fault that he was in this situation so you needed to protect him.

"Thank you. For everything."

The half-vampire hummed and turned to take the boy with him, but the child only clung to Hector's hand. Alucard sighed but his eyes softened and he knelt down in front of the silent boy.

"I won't let any harm come to you while you are under my roof, okay. Come on, I don't bite."

Alucard spoke with a gentless and yet, the boy still held tightly onto Hector's hand, worriedly looking up at him for some kind of indication that it would be alright for him to go with the other man.

"Go on, remember the way back to this room. If you need us we're right here, okay?" Hector smiled and stroked the back of the child's hand with his thumb to reassure him.

The boy only nodded slightly and slowly slid his hand from its place within Hector's. Then, he did something unexpected and reached out to take Alucard's hand. The half-vampire looked taken aback for a moment but, somewhat reluctantly, took the boy's hand nonetheless.

They soon disappeared down the hall, leaving you and Hector alone for the first time in a while. Actually, it was the first time you had been alone together since Lenore interrupted you the night you fled Carmilla's castle. There was nothing but the flicker of the candlelight in the still room as the two of you silently sat either side of the bed and began removing your shoes.

It was quiet still as you pulled the covers over your bodies, blowing out the candle before you rested your head on the fluffy pillow. You lied on your back and, for a moment, Hector did too, but he soon turned over onto his side and away from you. You frowned slightly and turned over, wrapping your arm around his shoulder as you pulled yourself closer to him.

"Talk to me."

"I- I just want to sleep tonight." He mumbled his words but didn't push you away from him as you had expected.

You reached up and began to slowly run your fingers through his hair, your fingertips ghosting over the skin of his face as you twirled the silver strands around and combed them out of his eyes.

"Please Hector. I can't help if you don't talk to me." 

He was quiet for a moment and when he spoke again, his voice had become shaky, "I don't think I know how."

"You don't have to know. Not if you don't want to. I can wait until you're ready, until you know what you want to say. I'm always here to listen, Hector. Always."

The room went quiet after that for the conversation was over. Hector wasn't ready to talk about it and you respected that. You only hoped that when he was ready, he would confide in you once again.

He didn't turn back over to face you but it was clear he still wanted you by his side and so, by his side you remained. All night long you held him tight in your arms, even going as far as tangling your legs with his. It was warm, peaceful even. There was so much uncertainty ahead of you. Would staying here with Alucard really be okay? Would the council of sisters find you anyway? There were so many questions but right now none of them mattered. What mattered right now was Hector because he was still in pain, still broken, despite everything he had accomplished and, in some way, it was your fault.

One thing you had noticed, however, was that Hector wasn't the only broken man under this roof.


	2. Guilty Feelings

By the morning, you were being gently shaken awake by small hands. Your eyes peeled open and you reached out for Hector, letting out a sigh of relief to find that he was still beside you. Then, you sat up as the forgemaster yawned and stretched his limbs.

"What's wrong?" You questioned upon turning your attention back to the boy who had silently made his way into your room and up to your bed.

The child seemed quieter than usual and you couldn't read his expression as he softly held onto your arm. When Hector sat up beside you, tilting his head to the side as he too tried to figure out what the child wanted, there was a tiny little grumble in the room.

"You're hungry?" You asked as you began to climb out of the bed.

The boy nodded and his stomach growled again.

"We shouldn't wander around the castle alone. We should just wait for Alucard." Hector protested as you slipped into your boots and took the boy's hand in your own.

"We're just going to go downstairs. For all we know, Alucard is already up and if not we will just have to wait for him. I'd go look for him but I don't know which room he is his."

Hector hummed, seeing that there was no real danger in going downstairs. As long as you didn't wander it should be fine.

The three of you then transcended back down the stairs and to the kitchen. Walking through the castle again was an unusual feeling for both you and Hector. They were rooms you knew so well and yet, everything seemed so different. There was still a darkness looming over the castle but it was somewhat brighter than before. You assumed it was even brighter before whatever had happened here since Alucard moved back in. Not only was the atmosphere different but the decor had changed somewhat, whether that was because most of it was destroyed during the fight or simply because of Alucard's own personal preference, you were unsure. He had done a good job at cleaning things up, so much so that there were little remnants of the minor battle that took place here the day you fled with Cezar. Then again, you supposed Alucard didn't have much else to do to keep himself occupied now that he was here alone.

He didn't return alone. There were a speaker magician and a Belmont with him the day Dracula was killed. You couldn't help but wonder what had happened to them or where they were now. You only hoped that they were not the corpses that had been left to rot outside.

"Ah, you're awake." Alucard announced.

The silent boy quickly latched onto Hector's hand once again, still clearly somewhat unsure about the half-vampire but no longer entirely afraid of him.

"You're up already?" You enquired, knowing that it was even still rather early for you or Hector and that the two of you would still be asleep if it wasn't for the child.

Alucard sighed as though he was uninterested in the conversation but answered anyway, "I don't sleep much these days. I made some breakfast for you though, I thought you might be hungry."

He had indeed made breakfast for all of you. It seemed as though he had even waited for you before touching his own.

"Thank you, it smells delicious." Hector commented, trying to make some kind of polite conversation with your host.

Alucard simply nodded his head and beckoned for you all to come and sit down, and so, you did. It was silent as you ate, almost awkwardly so, until Alucard spoke again, "Oh, I didn't have time to prepare them last night but there will be clean nightgowns for all of you from now on. They will be much more comfortable than wearing your clothes to bed. You all need to bathe today too, you're still covered in dirt."

Although his words should have sounded at least somewhat kind, the only tone within his voice was flat and tired. It was clear that he was unhappy with the three of you being here but, for whatever reason, he hadn't turned you away when you asked to stay here. He seemed somewhat on guard around the two of you, Hector, in particular, but other than that he seemed as though he didn't care much about you being here. It was almost as if some part of him wanted you here, or at least, wanted some company.

Alucard had always been somewhat lonely when you knew him before but back then he didn't seem to care much for it anyway. He had his mother and his father hadn't spiralled into madness but now he was truly alone. His parents were dead, one by his hand, and the only friends he ever knew seemed to have gone far from here. That is if they were ever his friends in the first place. Whatever the Belmont and speaker were to him, they were people he would have grown used to seeing and now they were gone, that much you knew. Alucard had had a taste of what it was like not to be alone only to end up back in this castle, isolated from the rest of the world and, although you and Hector were the last people he would want company from, it seemed that some small part of him didn't want to send you away.

After breakfast, Alucard took the child with him to search for some clean clothes. Before doing so, however, he had directed you and Hector to the bathroom so that the two of you could bathe and dress in some clean clothes. As it turned out, some of Hector's old belongings were left behind after the attack so he had clothes to wear at least. You, however, were stuck with whatever Alucard could find lying around that would fit you. Alucard had also told you and Hector that you could use his old room from now on if you wished but Hector seemed somewhat reluctant to go back there, although you were unsure why.

"Want some help? Or maybe just some company?" You offered as Hector headed towards the bathroom.

He stopped, snapping his head towards you as he furrowed his brows.

"What? It's not like I haven't seen it before." You admitted with a chuckle.

Hector blushed slightly but still seemed somewhat uncomfortable, "I- It's just that- Well, it isn't the same as before... before that.... before you were locked up and..."

"Hey," You spoke gently, cupping his face in your hands to draw his shakey gaze to you, "It's okay if you don't want me to. I can stay out here and wait for you. Just know that nothing that has happened between then and now has changed. I still love you, Hector."

His eyes searched yours as if he was looking for his own answer in them and, once he found that answer, he slipped his hand into yours.

"I- I suppose I could use some help washing my hair."

You smiled sweetly and followed him into the bathroom, making sure that the water in the tub wasn't too hot for him before politely turning your back for him to remove his clothes and climb in. You had indeed seen him naked before, more than once, but not since everything went wrong back in Styria. Whatever happened to him, whatever Lenore did to him or made him do, even if it was no worse than what it had been before you first arrived, it had knocked him down. Lenore put him in his place, that you were certain of. She broke him down piece by piece knowing that he was helpless to do anything to stop her. That was her punishment for him and his only crime was loving you.

Once the water stopped swishing and you were certain Hector was quietly seated in the tub, you turned around. You smiled gently and reached your hands up, soon running your fingers through his tangled hair. He groaned slightly at the tug but closed his eyes as you carefully combed the silver locks until the knots were mostly gone. While you were doing this, Hector had reached for a sponge and begun to scrub the dirt from his body. He leaned into your touch when you placed your hand over his, softly taking the sponge before soaking it in more of the warm water and wiping it over his shoulders.

Every movement was slow as you scrubbed the dirt away, slowly dragging the sponge across his tanned skin. He sat forwards and you continued to rub down his back with one hand, using the other to soothe the tension from his shoulders. Hector let out a long sigh and ran his own wet fingers through his hair. When you were done cleaning his back, he leaned back and allowed you to use an adjacent jug to soak his wavy hair.

The dirt began to wash out as you massaged his head and went back to combing your fingers through his hair to prevent it from knotting. You handled each and every part of him with care, you were gentle with him even when he occasionally tensed under your touch. It was easy to tell what he was thinking and feeling at this moment. You knew that you were the first person to ever treat him like something cherished, like someone worth caring about, worth loving.

When you were finished with his hair, he leaned his head back against the tub and looked up to your smiling face with another of those sighs, "I don't deserve you."

You reached out, running your fingers over his face, tracing the outlines of his features as you spoke softly, "You deserve the world."

"I don't. I- I hurt people. I helped Dracula commit genocide. People died because of me, because of my night creatures. Families, women, children... They were innocent. I took my bad experiences with humans out on them, all of them. I was wrong and I don't know if I can stop the guilt consuming me whole. Not all humans are bad, you're not bad. I was just unlucky and met the wrong ones." He closed his eyes as he spoke as if he was trying to hold in the tears that he didn't believe he had any right to cry. He truly believed that he was just as bad as those who had harmed him but you knew otherwise.

You leaned over him, pressing a tender kiss to his lips, "I hurt people too, Hector. I killed people for Dracula, I helped his soldiers slaughter countless innocent people. Human's do bad things when they're scared, angry and confused. You're human too you know, you did horrible things but you're not a bad person. You never wanted them to suffer, you always wished for a quick and painless death even after everything they had done to you."

His eyes opened and, for a moment, it broke your heart. They looked so shattered, so broken. Not only from what happened with Lenore but from the weight of that guilt. You never knew it burdened him that much but you should have for it burdened you too. It was suffocating knowing that you had done such things out of fear. Hector was no different except you feared Dracula whereas he simply feared humans. 

"I killed my own parents, y/n. They were my parents and I killed them."

"They beat you, they hurt you. If you hadn't killed them they would have probably ended up killing you." You defended his actions once again but he didn't seem convinced.

He sat up out of the water and leaned away from you, "They beat me because I raised animals from the dead. I'm not normal, I've never been normal. If I was they would still be alive, they would have loved me. Instead, they feared me. They beat me because they were scared of me. Does that make what they did any different from what I've done?"

You reached out a hand, placing it lightly on his shoulder and again he leaned into your touch as if it was the only thing keeping him sane.

"No child should go through that, normal or not. It's okay to feel guilty and sad, Hector, but you have to learn to forgive yourself. What's done is done. It's in the past. You're a different person now, you realised your mistakes and you won't make them again. Neither of us will." 

"Thank you. This... helped. A little at least."

With a saddened smile, you carefully pulled him back down and rested your chin atop of his head, stretching your arms out until your hands settled on his chest. He let out another sigh, this time sounding somewhat relieved, and reached up to place his hands over your own.

He lifted the back of your hand to his mouth and kissed it affectionately before closing his eyes with a smile, "I really do love you."

Once Hector finished bathing, he left to change. You asked him to stay but, as much as he wanted nothing more than to stay with you, right now he couldn't. He couldn't because he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold back and he wasn't sure if he was ready to take that step with you yet. He wasn't sure if you were ready to take that step with him either. It had been long since you fled the castle but he was still trying to figure things out. 

He was sure about one thing and that was you. He knew that he never wanted to leave your side, he knew that all he wanted was to go on more walks with you; to keep practising his magic with you; to wake up by your side every day until the day he died. All he could think about was how he wanted you to touch him, to replace the places she had touched with your own tender kisses. He just didn't want you to be stuck with the body of a broken man, a body that had already been claimed time and time again.


	3. Awkward

When you returned after washing and changing into clean clothes, Alucard was quietly sitting alone. He hadn't seemed to notice your presence in the doorway as he rolled up his sleeve, inspecting something on his arm. He seemed out of it, deep in thought as his fingers gently ran over what you could now see was scarred skin.

You knew of the scar his father gave him, there was much gossip around the castle about how Dracula had wounded his son so bad it left a nasty scar across his chest. The scar on his arm, however, you hadn't heard about so you assumed it must have happened after the attack on the castle.

Clearing your throat caught his attention and he quickly pulled the sleeve back down to cover up the scar before snapping his head to you.

"Where are Hector and the boy?"

You avoided the topic of his scar, sensing that he didn't want you to know about it, let alone to talk about it. When he registered that you were not asking about what he was doing, he assumed that you hadn't been standing there for that long and hoped that you hadn't caught a glimpse of his scars.

"I sent them to feed the horses. They'll be back soon."

You hummed and walked further into the room, "Alucard."

The half-vampire had since turned his attention away from you but you found him flinching slightly at the mention of his name before he turned back to you with a hum.

"I know we never really knew each other that well but... well, I... What happened to you?" You began tiptoeing around the subject before simply blurting it out which surprised even yourself.

Alucard's eyes widened for a split second before they grew dark and he turned his head away from you, hiding behind the veil of his golden hair, "Nothing. Nothing happened to me. Well, I had to murder my own father but-"

"After that? What happened to the speaker and the Belmont? Where did they go?"

"They left. They needed to go their own way and I needed to remain here to watch over the castle." His voice was monotonous but there was a hint of sadness that he couldn't quite hide.

You were hesitant but reached out to place your hand on his shoulder, only the half-vampire quickly turned and grabbed your wrist before you could. His eyes met yours, although they were still half-hidden behind a few strands of his hair. What should be bright golden irises looked almost dull. It was a look you had seen on him many times before back when you briefly knew each other before but something was different about it now. It looked duller, if that was even possible.

"Don't."

When his grip on your arm softened and he let go, you stepped backwards knowing that you had overstepped, "Sorry."

It was quiet for a moment and you could both feel the awkwardness filling the room but, no matter how awkward it grew, it was clear that Alucard was not angry with you. No, just uncomfortable.

When you spoke his name once again, cutting into the evermore uncomfortable silence, his gaze turned towards you once again and he hummed.

"Why are you letting us stay here? Not that I am not grateful for your kindness but, well, it seems as though you were hoping to be left alone."

Although you could tell that Alucard didn't really want to be alone, you could tell that he was clearly trying to drive people away. That was evident from the impaled bodies at the front door. You just didn't understand why. What had happened to him for him to embrace a life of solitude when it was clearly not what he really wanted?

The half-vampire sighed, "I don't really know myself. I was going to send you all away but, well, I know you. I suppose. You're not a stranger, that's what I mean and although it has been a long time since we last saw each other, it was just nice to see a familiar face. I still don't trust you, nor do I trust the forgemaster you travel with but I won't let my guard down. I won't let that happen ever again."

Alucard seemed to say more than he intended to, or maybe he simply didn't care that he was rambling a little. You were going to ask about it again but by the time you got over your hesitation, the conversation was already over because the others had returned.

"y/n?" Hector's voice met your ears and, once you turned around, he smiled.

The boy was, as usual, holding Hector's hand. He was probably afraid that he would get lost in the castle otherwise. Cezar also came with the two of them, following by their feet.

"You look nice." He spoke unconsciously but his words still meant a lot to you.

"It's not much, just a dress that was left behind by of Dracula's other generals. Alucard fetched it for me since there are not so many clothes my size lying about."

Alucard sighed once again and stood from his chair, "I should get started on dinner."

Without another word, he walked past Hector and out of the room.

"Is he... okay?" Hector asked, glancing back one last time to check that Alucard was really gone.

"I- I don't know." You admitted.

There was no reason for your or Hector to feel concerned for Alucard. Neither of you knew him all that well and it was clear he didn't trust either of you in the slightest. And yet, you were both at least curious as to what was going on with him. You even felt somewhat worried. Maybe it was simply because an unstable half-vampire could pose a threat to you but something was telling you that wasn't why you were worried.

Hector went to speak again but the boy tugged gently on his hand to gain his attention. When Hector glanced down at the boy, he pointed in the direction Alucard had walked off in.

"You want to go help him with dinner?" Hector asked, discovering that his deduction was correct when the boy nodded.

You smiled at the sweet boy, "Can you go on your own or do you need us to take you to the kitchen?"

The child shook his head and slipped his hand from Hectors, waving at the two of you before running off towards the kitchen with Cezar in tow.

Hector chuckled softly as they ran off after the half-vampire and honestly, it was so nice to see him happy.

"Do you want to go for a walk?"

The man only smiled wider and nodded, "I think I would."

Just like that, you had left the castle and were walking through the forest outside. You had barely made it past the first few trees when you walked closer to Hector in order to hold his arm as you walked. One of your arms stayed wrapped around his, your free hand then soon found it's place in his own hand. It was cosy, just how it was supposed to be.

You didn't talk as you walked but it wasn't an awkward or uncomfortable silence like the one you had encountered earlier while talking with Alucard. This silence was comforting and warm. Just being by his side brought a smile to your face.

"We should probably head back, I'm sure Alucard will be wondering where we wandered off to. It's probably better we don't give him a reason to get angry or distrust us any more than he already does." You suggested, resting your head against Hector's shoulder as you walked.

Hector hummed, "I suppose you're right. It's probably not a great idea to leave the boy alone with him for too long either."

Your walk seemed to come to an end almost as soon as it had begun but both of you were content with your short walk nonetheless. Not to mention, you were hungry and, from the sound his stomach just made, Hector was too.

When you returned to the castle, the two of you headed for the kitchen as you knew that Alucard and the boy would likely still be there. As you had expected, they were indeed still in the kitchen but what you found when you reached the room was not what you had expected.

Alucard seemed to be laughing.

"You did great. We'll make a renowned chef out of you yet!"

You and Hector watched on almost in shock as the half-vampire ruffled the child's hair with a smile and looked upon the plates of delicious food they had made together.

When the two of them picked the plates up and turned only to find you and Hector watching from the doorway, Alucard's face seemed to drop. Not to something sad or anything like that, no. He just suddenly didn't look as happy anymore. That indifferent expression he normally sported had returned at a mere glance of you and Hector.

"You're back. Good, dinner is ready."

It was so clear how the entire atmosphere had dropped since Alucard laid his eyes on you. You were sure it was because of you rather than Hector. It was probably because of that awkward conversation you had with him earlier. Maybe you really had overstepped and now he was even more uncomfortable with you than before or maybe it was simply because he knew that the conversation wasn't over yet. Not for you, at least. You wanted to ask him about things, you wanted to help him vent at least. You were still unsure of why Alucard was more closed off than usual but even without knowing the reason why, you wanted to ease his pain however you could.

He didn't have to let you stay here. He could have turned you all away or killed you before you reached the front door. But he didn't. You were grateful and you owed him. Surely he should get something out of letting you stay here and, at the very least, you wanted to offer him an ear. At the most, a friend. The two of you could have been friends before. You had tried to befriend him all those years ago but Alucard was never the most sociable of people, even back then.

"This is really good, thank you."

Alucard glanced up from his food to glance at Hector and, after seeing the sincerity of his words, even offered him a faint smile before turning his attention back to his own food once again.

It was so very clear to you that Alucard was still weary of both you and Hector but at least it seemed as though he and Hector were getting along somewhat. As for you, well, you still weren't sure. Alucard hasn't been the same since you spoke earlier. Was it because of something you said or was it because of something you had done?

What you didn't know was that it wasn't really your fault at all. Alucard was being so strange because your conversation earlier had brought back some memories the half-vampire wasn't fond of. In fact, it was those very memories that had forced him into isolation not too long before you turned up with one of Dracula's forgemasters in tow. A great betrayal followed by both pain and death. You had reminded Alucard of the one thing that pained him as much as, if not more than, the death of his parents.

Dinner was an awkward endeavour and by the time it was over, Alucard was already piling the dishes in the sink. He didn't bother to clean them, not now. He wasn't in the mood and so, he simply bid you all goodnight and left.

The child yawned as he climbed down from his chair, causing Hector to yawn in return.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Hector spoke so softly to the child, as he always did, and collected his tired form up into his arms.

The boy allowed his legs to hang slightly as he leaned his head on Hector's shoulder and closed his eyes. He was already asleep by the time Hector left the room and began heading up the stairs.

You smiled at the sweetness of it. Hector had been like this with him since you fled Carmilla's castle together. Maybe he, like you, thought of looking after the boy as a way to begin atoning for his sins. Once the warm feeling in your chest subsided and that heavy weight, which you had barely noticed was there until now, returned, you turned to the sink. Alucard wasn't going to wash up but that didn't mean that you couldn't. If trying to befriend the half-vampire was only going to be harder than it was before, then you would need to try and prove to him that you only had good intentions through your actions rather than your words. If that meant you would need to do a little housework here and there to help him out, then that is exactly what you would do.

It didn't take too long to finish cleaning as there was only the four of you eating, well, not including Cezar but the little puppy had a nice little bowl laid out for him which Alucard had filled up this morning and clearly once again this evening. The dog was undead, sure, but he still had to eat.

When you were finished, you headed up to your room only to find that Hector wasn't there. It couldn't have taken him this long to tuck the boy into bed so you began wondering where he was. After a moment of contemplation, you knew where to look for him and so, you headed back out into the hallway.

"Hector?" Your voice was quiet, it was getting late after all.

The forgemaster turned to you with a sigh, "It's so weird to be back here. I left all of this so suddenly and now-"

"I know. It's weird for me too." You smiled and walked further into Hector's old forge.

When you reached Hector, you ran your hand over his back and stood with him to look over the room.

"It's almost exactly how I left it. Although it does look a little cleaner than before."

You hummed although you couldn't tell whether it was cleaner or not. You hadn't been in this room that many times while you worked for Dracula as his witch. You wished you had had more time with Hector and Issac back then. Maybe you could have formed a bond with them, maybe you could have saved Hector before Carmilla deceived him or prevented Issac from being forced out into the world on his own, not that you doubted he would be fine. There was no doubt that Issac was on his journey back here, most likely in search of Carmilla or Hector. Hopefully, the former. If Issac were to come back and deal with Carmilla for you it would make things a lot easier but there was always the chance that Issac most likely wanted Hector dead too. You would never let that happen though.

"Let's go to bed." You suggested, entwining your hand with his own.

He hummed and walked by your side as you headed to bed, not caring much for the forge he left behind. When the bedroom door was closed behind you, Hector was the one to send a flame to the fireplace, lighting it with the magic you had taught him. You smiled warmly and collected a clean nightgown, changing into yours as Hector changed on the other side of the room. He didn't even glance your way as you undressed and, although he finished before you, he did not turn around until he was certain you were clothed once again.

You were the first to climb into bed, although you had a feeling neither of you were ready to sleep just yet. You sat with your back against the headboard and reached out to Hector, who only furrowed his brows in reply.

"I wanna cuddle."

He chuckled at your blunt words and obediently climbed onto the bed and over towards you. You needn't say a word more as he lied down, resting his head in your lap. Your fingers instantly went to his hair as you began to softly run them through the wavy locks. Hector let out a sound of content and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I saw something earlier." You confessed.

Out of curiosity, Hector rolled onto his back so that he could look up at you from where he lied on your lap.

Your fingers continued to glide through his hair as you continued, "Alucard has scars. Scars I think he received recently. He was looking at them and he looked... sad."

"Did you ask him about it?" Hector inquired, reaching up to take one of your hands in his own.

"No. He- He didn't look like he wanted anyone to know about them. He pulled his sleeve down in such a rush when he realised I was there. I don't think he knows I saw them though."

Hector gently played with your fingers in thought before commenting, "You're worried about him."

"A little. I mean- well, he isn't the same as he was before. He's still Alucard, that's for sure but, well, he's different. You've noticed it too haven't you, the way he just kind of zones out at times. His thoughts seem to plague him." You explained, voicing your concern for the half-vampire you really shouldn't have been worrying about.

There was a sigh and then Hector sat up before pressing a kiss to your forehead, "You're too kindhearted. You care about everyone too much. You cared about me too much and, well, you saved me because you cared too much. If you want to help Alucard with whatever he's dealing with I won't stop you. I don't think he is a bad person and he is certainly right to doubt our intentions but maybe if we can show him that we can be trusted-"

"Maybe he won't be so sad all of the time. Maybe he'll look as happy as he did earlier when he was cooking with the boy." You finished Hector's sentence for him.

Hector hummed again and lied down, pulling you with him as he encased you in his arms, "You really are too pure for this world."

Now it was Hector who played with your hair while unconsciously pulling you closer to him.

You looked up at him for a moment and he looked down at you, smiling sweetly as he continued to run his hands through your hair. Your hand reached up to his cheek, fingers gently ghosting over his skin and, before you knew it, your lips were on his.


	4. Tensions

The kiss was soft and tender but once you pulled away you were quickly diving back in for more. Soon Hector was the one pulling away, carefully pushing you off of him. When you looked up at him again, his eyes strayed from your own.

Your hand soon found it's way to his cheek again as you turned his face back towards you, "What's wrong?"

"You don't want this. You don't want me. You don't- You deserve so much more than this." His eyes struggled to remain on yours, looking anywhere and everywhere else.

"Hector, I don't know what you think of yourself or why you think I deserve more than you but I love you. I don't want anyone other than you. I've told you how I feel so many times, I've told you that I love you no matter what so why- why don't you believe me?"

His widened eyes snapped back to yours, "I do. I do believe you but-"

"No buts, Hector. I love you and nothing is going to change that. You know that so what's really going on? Talk to me, please." You begged and finally, he listened.

Hector sat up and turned his back to you as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Then, he sighed, "I'm broken. She made sure of that... and I- I don't want you to be stuck with a broken man. I don't-"

"Hector," You interrupted him and turned him back to face you before cupping his face, "I love you. Broken or not. What Lenore did to you doesn't make you any less worthy of my love."

He reached up, gently wrapping his hands around your wrists to pull them away from his face so that he could hold your hands in his own, "You don't get it y/n. It was bad before you came to Carmilla's castle but after Lenore caught you, once you were taken away from me, it got worse. Every single night she used me as she pleased. She defiled me. She did things to me... things I'll never be able to forget. You don't deserve the baggage."

"Hey, you're not baggage. You're hurt, sure, but you will never be a burden to me. So let me help. Let me help you feel something other than her. You can't say you don't want to, I know you do, but it's up to you. I won't do anything you don't want me to. You're in complete control but I want you to know that no matter what you decide, I'll still be here by your side no matter what."

Hector looked taken aback by your words but simply smiled at you as a crystal-like tear rolled down his cheek.

Instead of wiping the tear away with your thumb, you leaned in towards him and softly kissed it away.

"So?" You smiled somewhat sadly, expecting him to turn you down again but if that was his decision then you would respect it. Just being with him was enough.

"I want you more than anything. I'm just... scared. I don't want to mess this up." Hector admitted, squeezing your hands slightly.

You kissed him again, "You won't."

He stopped trying to push you away and allowed you to push him down onto the bed as you climbed onto his lap. Not once did your lips part until his back hit the mattress but even then, nothing progressed further than that right away. You wanted to know that he was sure. You didn't want to push him, you needed to know that he was okay and that he was ready.

"You okay?"

He nodded and pressed another sweet kiss to your lips, "More than okay."

Things grew more heated after that but once you began to tug at his nightgown, hoping to be rid of the fabric, he grew hesitant again.

"Hector. We don't have to-"

You were cut off with another kiss, "I want to."

He sat up as his hands found their way to yours, moving them as he removed his own nightgown leaving him fully exposed.

"You're so beautiful." You commented, running your hand over his honeyed chest.

Hector's face only flushed slightly as he attempted to hide it behind his hair, "No, I'm not."

No matter how hard you tried, no matter what you said or did, he still doubted you. No, he doubted himself. He didn't think he had the capability of being beautiful, he still saw himself as broken and nothing more. He believed that you loved him just as much as he loved you. He also believed it when you said you would stay by his side no matter what. But this, the idea that he was beautiful, that was something he couldn't believe.

You reached up and pushed his hair behind his ear, "You are. You're breathtaking. Every single inch of you is beautiful Hector."

Before he could protest again, you latched yourself onto his neck before kissing down along his jaw and back up to his mouth. During this process, you had received a few groans from Hector telling you that he was enjoying what you were doing, even if he was still worried.

His hands were unsure as they rested almost unmoving on your hips but, after a few more kisses, they began to wander. At first, they ran delicately up and down your back. Then, they quickly glided over the curve of your ass and towards your legs. Before long, as your hungry yet still tender kisses continued, his hands had slowly ventured under your own nightgown. You wanted him to keep going, to explore all of you with his gentle touches but instead, his fingertips paused once again at your hips. Although they were only softly caressing your skin, almost so soft that they were barely even there, the feeling was so heavenly.

You had expected Hector to be gentle, that was just how he was. It was cute and part of the reason why you loved him so much. He was still hesitant, cautious even. His experiences with Lenore had turned sex into something he hated, something he didn't want, but with you it was different. He wanted you. He wanted you more than anything, or anyone he had ever wanted before.

When your lips parted from his again, you reached down and began pulling your nightgown up over your head. Within a moment, you had already discarded it on the floor next to the bed, alongside Hector's.

He seemed unsure for a moment but you wanted him to know that he was in control and that he didn't have to hesitate with you. That was why you didn't do anything. You didn't kiss him again, nor did you move. All you did do was wrap your arms around his neck as you brushed another stray strand of hair behind his ear once again.

"Touch me."

Your words were so innocent, so soft, so enticing and he wanted nothing more than to do that, to touch you. But he was still scared of somehow hurting you or not giving you enough satisfaction. He was terrified that if he did this with you, that you would somehow be able to see the things he went through with Lenore reflecting in his eyes. He didn't want that, he didn't want you to see him like that. But his desire for you, his need for something more, was becoming overwhelming just as it was for you.

At first, his hands began to move up and down your sides. The trail left behind by the tips of his fingers was so light that the tingles on the surface of your skin almost tickled.

"I love you." Hector sighed, pulling your body into his so that he could rest his head in the crook of your neck.

His hands continued their gentle movements, this time travelling up and down the curves of your back. Your skin was so smooth, so soft, so fragile. He loved it, this feeling. The feeling of you.

You sat there for a moment, just embracing each other. His hands never stopped caressing your back. Your own fingers slowly ran through his hair and massaged his scalp, soothing the tension in his brain.

After a few more moments, when Hector began nipping at your shoulder with his soft lips, you brought your own up to his ear and whispered, "I love you too."

With those words, you lifted your body slightly as one hand went down to locate his hardened cock. He stiffened slightly when you touched it, sucking in a hiss as he buried his head into the crook of your neck once again.

"Can I?" Again with those gentle words, so soothing to his ears, reminding him that everything was okay, that he was here with you and not there with her.

He nodded against you and so, slowly, you sunk down. From the position you were in, he pushed in easily, his length reaching the depths inside you with no issue. You both moaned at the feeling but, once he was settled inside, once again neither of you moved.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt?" This time, he was the one asking you. He wanted you to be comfortable as much as you wanted him to be.

"No. It- it's good. You feel- so good." You reassured him, peppering a light kiss against his lips as you adjusted.

Without meaning to, you moved slightly in an attempt to get more comfortable. The movement alone had Hector involuntarily bucking his hips into you. You moaned at the feeling, not expecting such a sharp thrust so soon.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault, besides it felt good," you buried your head into his shoulder and mumbled, "Do it again, please."

And so, he did. His gentle thrusts were met with more grunts and groans as you also began moving your hips along with his rhythm. Soon, your lips were connected again but this time you slipped your tongue inside. Hector welcomed the action and moved his hands to your ass to help you move your hips in time with his steady pace. 

He was still ever so gentle with you and, after a few more steady paces, placed his hand behind your head to switch positions so that you were lying beneath him.

You moaned again as he reached deeper within you, hands clinging to the muscles on his back.

"Fuck. There." You simpered, now tangling your fingers in his hair.

His pace was still so gentle, so calm, but it was beginning to grow sharper, harder, less patient. His lust for you was taking over and yet, he still had the thought to restrain himself.

You kissed him again, "It's okay. You can let go, you've been holding back so well."

"But-"

"Hector. I want you to. Please, go faster."

Again, your words of reassurance were all he needed to hear and so, his pace continued to grow at a steady rate. His speed picked up quickly but still carefully as he was wary about what you wanted and what exactly you were okay with. He was testing the waters, knowing first hand what it is like when someone puts their own needs over yours. He didn't want to ever do that to you which is why he was being careful. He was trying to figure out what you liked and what you didn't like so that he knew he wasn't going to do anything you weren't okay with.

"I'm close." He admitted, groaning into your ear.

You pulled him closer, "Me too."

His pace quickened again as his end drew near while your own hips continued to buck up into him. Everything felt so good. It was almost overwhelming. Not just the physical feelings but everything. Hector poured every ounce of his love into each and every touch, kiss and thrust. It was a feeling so foreign to both of you. Not the love as that was something you had both shared for quite a while now, but for the act of sex to finally be associated with nothing but feelings of love and comfort, especially for Hector, was so new. It was a feeling, both physical and emotional, that neither of you would ever tire of.

"y/n, I'm going to-"

Before he could even finish his words, Hector was pulling out and shooting his load onto your stomach. Thankfully, as his end hit him, yours was already rushing through you and, as much as you wanted nothing more than to feel him inside you until the end, you already had one child that needed looking after so neither of you were particularly ready for another. Not that you wouldn't want to have children with Hector one day. Your own children. You smiled at the thought.

Hector rolled off of you and onto his back as he caught his breath. You simply smiled wider and rolled onto your side to rest your head against his chest. You listened to his heartbeat as it began to calm down, followed by the steadying of his breathing.

"Thank you. I- I needed that more than I thought I did." He confessed before wrapping an arm around you and tenderly kissing your forehead.

"Me too. It was good for me too." You grinned, smoothing your hand over his warm chest as you closed your eyes.

You fell asleep so quickly after that. You were so exhausted from such a fulfilling night and, with Hector so softly playing with your hair, it was all too easy to drift off to sleep.

He smiled as your soft little snores made their way to his ears. He just watched you as you slept, gazing at you with such adoration as he gently traced your lips with his thumb. With one last kiss, he pulled the blankets up over you and closed his own eyes. He finally felt safe and, after such a long time, he was truly happy.


	5. Sex and Wine

When you woke, you were still in Hector's arms. He was already awake, his fingers unconsciously stroking through your hair as he watched you come to.

"Good morning, my love."

It was such a simple sentence, such simple words, but nonetheless, it brought a bright smile to your face. Hector thought it was him who was lucky to have you, but you were the one who was lucky to have him. Without Hector, you were just a lonely magician with no friends or family. After what happened with Dracula and the atrocities you had helped him commit, you would have been consumed by the guilt of your cowardly actions. Without Hector, you would have no longer had any reason to live. Without Hector, you thought, you would have probably already been a coffin in the ground because Hector was your reason to live.

Instead of a reply, you simply nuzzled your head further into his naked chest. The slight stir of your body had you feeling things that you really should have washed off last night, but you were so tired that you fell asleep before you had the chance to clean yourself off. You weren't, however, as sticky as you thought you should have been and, with a hand feeling the remnants of the night before on your stomach, you realised that Hector must have tried to wipe at least some of it off.

"We should probably bathe." You admitted.

Hector hummed but didn't once stop running his fingers through your hair, "Probably."

You could tell his answer was him simply telling you _not yet_ because he wanted to stay in bed with you a while longer. He wanted to lie here and hold you, he would have done it all day if he could but he knew the chances of that were unlikely. You had a boy to look after and a sad half-vampire to accompany.

It was so peaceful as you lied there. The first proper peace either of you had felt in, well, forever. That peace, however, didn't last long.

There was a crash from downstairs somewhere, presumably the kitchen from all of the clanging. It was so loud you were certain that it echoed throughout the entire castle.

Both you and Hector sat up and glanced at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Hector inquired.

"I have no idea."

And so, the pair of you jumped out of bed and quickly threw your nightgowns back on to cover yourselves as you hastily made your way towards where you believed the noise had come from.

When you reached the kitchen, you were both surprised to find a drunken Alucard sitting on the floor. His head was in one of his hands as he swayed, in the other, a rather large glass of wine. Around him, the floor was littered with pots and pans, not to mention a few smashed glasses and other bits and bobs. You would have assumed they had been knocked over from his drunken state, but from the way everything was scattered in different parts across the room, you were certain that Alucard must have thrown them.

"Alucard? Are you okay?" Hector was the first of you to speak as he attempted to walk closer to the half-vampire that was sitting on the floor.

His words were only met with Alucard downing the rest of the wine in his hand before turning and quickly throwing the now empty glass towards Hector, "Stay away!"

Thankfully, Hector had managed to dodge the object but halted his movements in hopes of not having his throat torn out by the, clearly very angry, drunken son of Dracula.

"Alucard. What's wrong? Talk to us." You stepped forward this time, also hoping to calm and reassure the man on the floor.

However, he simply launched a bronze pot your way, "I said stay away!"

Instead of dodging the pot, you stopped it with your magic and allowed it to fall on the floor in the space between you and Alucard with a clank.

Hector looked at you, wondering what the two of you should do. You simply rubbed circles into your brows, trying to soothe them as you sighed, "Alucard. It is not even nine o'clock in the morning."

Alucard climbed to his feet, wobbling on his shaky legs as he stumbled across the kitchen and picked up a new bottle of wine. He looked you dead in the eye as he took a swig, well, downed half of the bottle. Then, he pulled the bottle away from his mouth and slammed it down on the side, thankfully without smashing it, as he wiped the dribbling wine from his chin whilst making sure to give you a clear view of his wine-stained fangs.

"So?"

You were amazed. This grown man, not to mention very powerful half-vampire, was stood in front of you throwing a drunken temper tantrum.

You sighed again and spoke firmly, "Alucard."

The man simply dismissed you and went back to his wine, pouring himself another glass before stumbling over to the kitchen table.

"Alucard, this is ridiculous. The boy will be up soon if he hasn't already risen after hearing you smashing and shattering almost everything in here. Please go and lie down." To your surprise, Hector was now the one telling him off.

"The boy?" Alucard questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly before taking another sip of his wine.

"Yes, the boy. You know, that child who's living here. About yea high, fluffy brown hair, never speaks. The one who is scared enough without seeing you in this state. Yeah, that one." You snapped sarcastically, your patience beginning to wear thin.

Although Alucard didn't even bother to look at you or Hector again, he did stop drinking for a moment. He simply sat there swirling the contents in his glass around, watching the red liquid as it circled the glass as if he were hoping it would hypnotise him into thinking straight again.

"The boy." His voice was more relaxed now, quiet even.

After a short moment, he placed his half-empty glass down on the table and stood up, pressing his palms into the table to support him.

Then, he began trying to stumble away. Although, he didn't get very far. He fell onto Hector, who reluctantly caught him, but instantly tried to push him away again.

"Get off of me!"

With a roll of your eyes, you looked away from the boys and at the messy room, then you turned back to Hector who was having a great deal of trouble trying to keep Alucard on his feet.

"Can you take him to bed? I'll sort this mess out before the boy wakes."

Hector nodded and, once again, tried to support Alucard as they left the room.

It was hard enough trying to walk Alucard down the hall, let alone up the stairs, especially when all he did was thrash about demanding that he could walk on his own. When he tripped on the stairs and almost fell, had it not been for Hector catching him, he finally stopped complaining and let the forgemaster support him as they made their way to his bedroom.

"You reak of sex." Alucard stated bluntly, catching the forgemaster off guard a little.

Hector simply sighed, "And you reak of wine."

Alucard chuckled slightly at the response he received and no longer put up a fight as Hector struggled to get him to bed. Not that it wasn't still immensely difficult to support a swaying half-vampire who was almost tripping over his own feet as they transcended up the steps to a higher floor.

Alucard continued to mumble to himself as they walked, although his words were all but incoherent to Hector. By the time they finally reached his room, Alucard once again tried to push the forgemaster away to stumble inside on his own. Hector should have allowed him to and just shut the door behind him, leaving this problem to sort itself out, but instead, he found that he was worried Alucard might hurt himself trying to get into bed. So, he swung the half-vampire's arm back over his shoulders and practically carried him across the room to his bed.

He allowed Alucard to flop down onto the mattress, his long, golden hair splayed out over his pillow. Then, he pulled off his boots and tucked his legs in under the blankets. Alucard mumbled something incoherent once again as he finally fell asleep, the morning chaos finally coming to an end.

Hector released a sigh and gently pushed Alucard's messy hair out of his face in slight fear that he would somehow manage to suffocate or choke on the long strands.

The forgemaster watched him for a moment longer. Almost wanting to know why Alucard was in so much pain as he quietly stated, "You don't have to suffer alone."

Once the forgemaster was gone, the door quietly clicking shut behind him, Alucard pulled his legs up to his chest and buried his face in his hands as tears began to spill from his golden eyes.

When Hector returned to you, you were almost done with your cleaning. The shattered glass Alucard had previously thrown at Hector was disposed of in the bin, along with the rest of them. The pots and pans that littered the floor were all back in their cupboards. The only thing that was left was to clean the spilt wine and splattered fruit from the floor, walls, door and table. How Alucard had made such a mess, you were unsure. What you were sure of, was that he had likely been up all night drinking.

"How is he?" You questioned with genuine concern.

"Asleep." Hector exhaled in relief and picked up a cloth to help you scrub the walls.

"Something really terrible happened to him, Hector."

He quietly hummed, "I know."

It was almost silent between the two of you after that for you were too consumed in your own thoughts to talk with one another. You both felt sad, empty even. It was as if you felt helpless. Why either of you even cared for Alucard, neither of you knew. But for some strange reason, you did, and it hurt the two of you to see him in this state. How long had he been bottling it up? Or had he already been like this before you came? Maybe he had just been hiding it because you were here.

In the time between cleaning the walls and mopping the floor, you and Hector had both taken a quick bath to wash up and get dressed. So, by the time the boy finally emerged, coming into the kitchen with Cezar following by his feet, you and Hector were just about done mopping the floor.

"Careful. The floor is wet, you might slip." You warned with a soft tone.

Hector made his way across the room and picked the boy up, carrying him over to the table before setting him down in one of the chairs, "There, no one is slipping up today."

The boy smiled, thankful that the two of you were still looking out for him, and then looked over to you expectantly.

"I know Alucard usually makes breakfast but he's really tired today so he went back to sleep." You explained although the didn't seem to entirely understand why Alucard was so tired since he was supposedly the one who went to sleep first last night.

Both of you tired to hold your smiles as you spoke to the boy, trying to hide the fact that there was indeed something wrong. Not that you could do anything until later. Later, you would need to talk with Alucard but, for now, he needed to get some rest and you needed to look after the boy.

"So, I was thinking eggs and bacon. What do you think?" You grinned at the boy as Hector began to collect what you would need from the cupboards.

The boy nodded, smiling back with sincerity.

"Good. Bacon and eggs it is then."

Cooking didn't take too long and, thankfully, you managed not to burn anything. Hector had already fed Cezar, petting his little dog fondly as he chucked some more bacon his way. The three of you sat and ate happily, although neither you nor Hector could shake the concern you were feeling for Alucard. Something was going on with him, well, you already knew that. It was just that, whatever was going on with him was clearly worse than you initially believed and, after seeing how he was this morning, you really were worried about him.

Thankfully, it seemed as though the boy didn't pick up on the dull atmosphere that surrounded you and Hector. After breakfast, you quickly washed up and headed outside with both Hector and the boy in order to feed the horses. As it turned out, morning chores were not so bad when you had the two of them around, not to mention little Cezar, who followed you all around with a wagging tail. Once you finished tending to the horses, you decided to stay outside for a while. You and Hector opted for sitting down in the shade as you watched the boy run about with Cezar on the grass.

You were sat between Hector's legs with your back against his chest. His head rested on top of yours for a while until he moved so that his head was beside yours, "Do you think he'll ever speak?"

"I don't know. We don't even know if he was mute before I found him or not. Whether he will ever speak or not, I just hope he's okay."

"He looks happy, at least. He seems to like it here and he doesn't fear Alucard anymore. Actually, I think he's grown rather fond of him." Hector sounded relieved to see the boy looking at least somewhat at peace despite everything he has been through. You both only hoped that Alucard wasn't going to disrupt that.

You sat outside for a few hours, just enjoying the sun until grey clouds grew overhead.

Hector helped you to your feet and you called out to the boy, "We should go in. It looks like it's going to rain." 

Although the child was sad that he couldn't play outside anymore, he seemed to agree that heading in would be a good idea and so, you all headed back inside. The boy went straight up to his room with Cezar, presumably to continue playing up there with Alucard's old childhood toys, while you and Hector went back to the kitchen to make some lunch.

"Do you think he'll be up anytime soon?" You asked as you began to cut into the loaf of bread.

"Maybe. We should make him some lunch just in case. He's probably hungry." Hector suggested.

Neither of you had noticed the presence at the door until Alucard cleared his throat and walked inside, "I- I'm sorry about earlier. I was- well, it was inappropriate of me. I'm sorry, to both of you for having to deal with that."

You stopped cutting the bread and, like Hector, offered a soft expression to the man in front of you, "It's okay."

"It's not. Nothing about that was okay but... thank you for putting up with me." Alucard spoke honestly, not quite daring to meet either of your eyes.

He just kind of stood there apologetically with his eyes cast downwards. It was clear he felt awkward, uncomfortable even, and that he didn't quite know what to do now that he had shown that side of himself in front of the two of you.

Just when you thought Alucard was going to disappear back up to his room for the rest of the day, Hector pulled out the chair beside him, patting it and offering a smile to try and make him feel more comfortable. Alucard himself faintly smiled back and sat down in the chair.

You smiled, "So, lunch for three?"


	6. Fun and Games

Neither you nor Hector asked Alucard any of the questions that were swirling around in your heads. You had both sensed that it was probably not the time to ask him about it and decided you just needed to reassure him that it was okay.

Alucard needed to know that neither of you were judging him or going to push him to tell you anything he wasn't ready to talk about. After all, you still barely knew him, but you at least wanted him to know that you were not like whoever had hurt him. You wanted him to know that you weren't going to do anything that would harm him as they did, however that may have been.

Instead of asking about it, you made idle chitchat about things like the weather or how the boy seemed to be settling in well. Alucard smiled when you mentioned the boy, it seemed as though he had also warmed to the child but it was clear he still felt that guilt for getting himself into a state so early in the morning.

Lunch lasted no longer than half an hour and, by the time it was over, Alucard was trying to leave again. Trying to run away.

"Stay with us for a while. I'm sure we can find something fun to do." You grinned, hoping that your friendliness would comfort Alucard rather than scare him away.

He met your eyes, absentmindedly brushing his long hair over his shoulder, "You want me to stay with you?"

You nodded but Hector spoke before you could, "Sure. We're living under the same roof so we might as well get to know each other better."

Alucard looked so shocked, so confused. He didn't understand why the two of you were making an effort with him, especially after what happened this morning, but he could feel the sincerity in your tones. Neither of you were planning anything malicious. You just sincerely wanted to try and get along with the man who's home you were staying in. Hector did have a point though, you couldn't all live here avoiding each other forever.

"Okay. What 'fun' thing did you have in mind then?" Alucard turned back to you with a rather blank expression, clearly not comfortable enough with either of you to show anything more than his usual microscopic expressions.

A smirk pulled at the corner of your lips, "Boys, we are going to play a game."

The two men looked at you, both with very different expressions. Alucard looked, well, like Alucard, monotonous with only the faintest hint of emotion hiding in his features. Hector, however, furrowed his brows and tried to decipher whatever plan was brewing in your mind.

~~~

"Hide and seek? Seriously?" Alucard huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes. We're playing hide and seek. Oh, and you're counting." You grinned, extending a finger towards Alucard, who pointed his own finger into his chest.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. The three of us will go and hide from you, then you'll come and find us." Hector explained, gesturing to himself, you and the boy.

Alucard rolled his eyes and pointed down by the boy's feet where Cezar stood excitedly wagging his tail, "You mean the four of you."

"Yes, the four of us but Cezar and the boy will be together so they only count as one point."

The half-vampire raised an eyebrow, "We're doing points?"

"Of course we are. You find all of us, you get three points. For each point you get, you can ask a favour from one of us. But if you can't find us we get the point and you owe us a favour." You explained.

"Okay then but prepare to lose. I hate to admit it but I have the upper hand." Alucard declared, seemingly finding at least some of the competitiveness that resided inside of him.

You smirked, "We'll see about that."

Just like that, you, Hector and the boy all ran off in different directions, each heading to opposite ends of the castle.

"Don't forget, you can't stop until you get to one hundred." You yelled down the hall right before turning out of sight.

Alucard sighed but nonetheless lifted his hands up over his eyes and began to count, "One, two, three..."

As he counted, he made sure to focus his hearing, listening to all of your footsteps echoing as you grew further away. He was sure he was alone, standing in that hallway. All of you had run far away, surely finding what you believed to be the perfect hiding spots. But, not only did Alucard have the upper hand ability-wise, he also grew up in this castle. You and Hector knew the halls well, sure, but you had only been here for a year or so with Dracula. Alucard had lived here all his life, except for that year or so in which you and Hector occupied the castle with Dracula and his other generals. He was certain that not much could have changed in such a short time.

"Ninety-two, ninety-three, ninety-four, ninety-five..."

By the time he reached one hundred counts, the castle sounded still. Whatever movement there had been before had ceased. It was almost as if all of you simply disappeared into thin air, leaving him there alone once again. That thought had Alucard beginning to worry, his head spinning until his breathing grew heavy. He didn't want to be alone, not again, not anymore.

He began to rush through the halls at lightning speed, leaving nothing behind but a rush of passing wind as he zoomed through the castle. He was panicking, he was scared that you had left him behind too. Like _they_ did. Like they all did.

He grew out of breath and stopped, hunching over with his hands on his knees as he caught his breath back. That was when he heard it, the subtle clang coming from a distant end of the castle. You were still here, you hadn't left him. Of course, you hadn't. This was just a game, only a game. Alucard knew he had overreacted, he knew it was all in his head. This was hide and seek for god's sake, the whole purpose was to hide and try not to be found. His breathing calmed back down and he began to make his way towards the sound, using a more normal speed to do so.

His hearing helped him as he stalked the halls looking for you and soon, he could even make out the faint, controlled breathing of someone with a somewhat deep voice.

_Hector._

Alucard picked up his pace but tied to remain quiet as he followed the sound of the steadily beating heartbeat. Although it was just a pointless game, for children nonetheless, his heart was pounding. His veins were running with the tingle of adrenaline and, for the first time in a long while, he felt alive again.

His footsteps seemed to have been too loud as he neared the location of his prey because soon Hector was moving again. And so, the pursuit began.

Two grown men, both very much like children in their own ways, playing a game of cat and mouse in the halls of a large, probably haunted, castle. It was ridiculous and, had anyone else been told that one day none other than one of Dracula's generals and his own son would be playing a game of hide and seek along with a witch and a mute child, well, none one would have believed it.

Alucard could feel the heat coursing through his veins as he chased after Hector. Hearing the forgemaster swerve down another hallway only made him pick up the pace. He ran and ran, trying not to use his vampiric speed as he was sure you and Hector would later tell him that it was cheating to do so.

The pursuit went on for a couple of minutes and before long, it became much too easy to follow the sound of Hector's hearty laughter. Alucard had chased him around the floor and down the stairs before he finally caught up with him, covering the final meter of distance between him and the man with silver hair with a burst of energy before pouncing on top of him.

Hector chuckled again as Alucard climbed off of him, helping him to his feet with a smirk, "Caught you."

"So you did." Hector sighed, rubbing his arm from where it had hit the floor upon his fall.

"Is your arm okay? Maybe jumping on top of you was a little overboard." Alucard asked, looking somewhat genuinely concerned that he had harmed the forgemaster.

"I spent weeks being beaten by Carmilla, this is nothing." Hector chuckled light-heartedly about the ordeal he went through during his time with Carmilla for the first time since, well, ever.

Alucard, however, didn't see this as a joking matter and immediately began to sympathise with Hector, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Really, it doesn't hurt. Anyway. I'm going to go and get some water. I believe you have two more of us to find before the day is done." Just like that, Hector was leaving and, although he really did seem okay, Alucard found himself wanting to reach out to stop him from walking off alone. Instead, however, he pushed that thought- that feeling -to the side and decided that was going to find you next.

As you hid, hoping that Alucard wouldn't think to look for you in the most obvious place, your heart continued to pound in your chest. The castle was almost silent but the faint echo of laughter that had reached you a few moments ago revealed to you that it was likely Hector had been caught by now. He was probably now heading for a glass of cold water, looking out the window at the pattering rain as he wondered how long it would take Alucard to find the rest of you.

Not long, apparently, as you soon heard footsteps coming your way.

Alucard was in no rush as he strolled down the hall, seemingly passing the curtain in which you were hiding behind. You cocked an eyebrow, wondering just how he had managed to pass you when you really weren't putting much thought or effort into remaining hidden from him.

The sound of his footsteps continued to fade until you were certain that he had passed, leaving you to wonder if it really was him who had walked past.

Maybe it was Hector? But why would he be in this part of the castle?

Your heartbeat quickened but this time, you began to feel afraid.

What if someone else had gotten into the castle while you were playing your games? What if it was Carmilla or one of her soldiers?

Slowly, you backed out from behind the curtains in the direction opposite to where the footsteps had headed. The moment you were revealed, a shadow seemed to cast over your position and your back hit something solid.

You froze as two arms held your own, a smirk by your ear, "Caught you."

You breathed a sigh of relief and turned around, slapping the man's shoulder, "Alucard! You scared me to death."

He simply brought a hand up to his face and chuckled, clearly rather amused that he had managed to make you jump. It was nice to see him smile, to see the slight crease in his eyes. He almost looked happy.

"Who's left?" You inquired.

"Just the boy and that dog. I caught Hector not too long ago."

With a nod of your head, you hummed. You had known Hector was caught before you but you were not aware that the boy was still hiding.

"You know, we should probably give him a name. Can't keep calling him 'the boy' now can we?" Alucard decided.

It made sense. He must have a name, after all.

"We should ask him if he can write his name down or something, although I don't know if he can even read and write."

Now Alucard hummed, "Well, I better go find him first. Hector seemed to be headed for the kitchen."

Just like that, he was gone. You had no doubt that he'd find the boy soon enough and so, you simply headed off to find Hector. He was, as Alucard had assumed, in the kitchen.

"Preparing dinner already?" You asked.

Hector looked to you for a moment before going back to cutting the vegetables, "Yes. I know Alucard always cooks but I thought we should do something for him today. He's been nothing but kind to us since we got here, even if he was a little hostile at first, and he's clearly going through a lot."

You walked over, wrapping your arms around Hector's stomach as he continued to chop away, "I know you haven't known him for long and well, neither have I really, but I'm glad you seem to be getting along."

"He is... difficult, but he only has the good things about his father in him. I also feel some form of sympathy with him. I can see it in his eyes y/n, he went through something at least somewhat similar to me." His voice quietened slightly as he pushed the knife rather harshly though the last carrot before chucking the sliced pieces into the pot.

You thought it over and you didn't doubt what Hector was saying. Sometimes you just knew. What neither of you knew was exactly what had happened to him although you supposed it was a betrayal from the way he is still yet to trust you both.

"I can't find the boy."

You let go of Hector as both of you turned, half wondering how long he had been stood there but more concerned with the way he seemed out of breath.

"What do you mean you can't find him?" You asked in alarm.

"I mean I can't find him. I've searched every length of the castle, he is nowhere."

You looked from Alucard to Hector, both of whom had faces of worry.

"Get me something of his. Now."


	7. Long Days End

"You're sure this will work? It isn't even really his." Alucard asked as you held the little shoe in your hand.

"I know but he has worn it recently. It's better than nothing. The only people it can lead me to are you and him so as long as you're here I should be able to follow the other trail." You explained.

Both of the men watched as you closed your eyes, focusing your magic on finding him. It was an old spell you had picked up before joining Dracula, a tracking spell of sorts. Although, as the shoe really belonged to Alucard it would be difficult to find the boy with it, but it was the only chance you had.

You remained quiet for a moment, mumbling incantations to yourself before going silent as you focused on separating Alucard's energy from the boy's. Something you were not happy to find was that it wasn't too hard to separate them at all. Alucard's energy was dark, a black mist that surrounded him. The boy's energy was bright, almost like a small ray of sunlight leading to him.

Your face fell and, for a moment, both Alucard and Hector feared that it wasn't working.

"He's this way." You pointed into the distance and began walking.

The three of you kept going until you reached the entrance hall.

"He went outside? In this storm?" Hector asked, looking outside as you opened the door.

The rain that had originally started off as a light drizzle was now hammering down followed by crashes of thunder and streaks of lightning. The boy must have gone out before the storm picked up but there was no mistaking it, he was certainly outside.

"Come on."

With that, the three of you headed out into the rain. None of you cared for the colds you would likely develop upon your return because none of you were thinking about anything other than finding the boy.

"What's this?" Hector asked as you reached a makeshift lift heading down into the ground.

"The Belmont Hold." Alucard stated.

You stepped forwards, clinging onto the little shoe in your hand as you peered over the edge, "He's down there."

Both of their eyes widened as you stepped onto the lift.

Alucard quickly followed you, "It isn't safe down there, we need to hurry."

The three of you descended as quickly as you could, all three of you running out into the hold as you all began searching for the boy.

Alucard and Hector began running about, searching every nook and cranny while you simply stood there, focusing your magic. He was down here but you couldn't see clearly where, especially with Alucard running about, leaving a mist of his own energy everywhere. Not to mention, the light you had been following had been growing weaker since you left the castle as if the boy's energy was diminishing or growing darker since he stepped outside into the rain.

Eventually, you had concluded that it was very possible his energy had been tainted with fear. He was alone and scared, but presumably still with Cezar as the little undead dog hadn't returned to Hector.

"Cezar?" You called out but still, there was nothing.

"Cezar!" You tried again, hearing a somewhat quiet bark in response.

You were going to yell out again as you tried to figure out where the sound was coming from but Hector beat you to it, "Cezar!"

In response to his master's call, the small dog ran out barking. Hector knelt down beside his dog, "Where's the boy? Take us to him."

Just like that, Cezar was running off again. Alucard was the one to chase after him, outrunning both you and Hector as he sprinted through the hold.

"He's here!"

His voice echoed back to you before you reached him and, once you saw him again, the boy was in his arms.

You let out a sigh of relief and clutched at your chest, waiting for that suffocating feeling to go away. While you regained your breath, Hector rushed over to the two of them, extending a hand to check on the boy's temperature as he began to worry.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere are you?"

Both he and Alucard continued to fuss over the child, checking that he truly was okay. When he simply shook his head and cuddled further into Alucard's chest, you all calmed down once again.

"I'm so sorry you were down here alone and afraid." Alucard spoke softy, stroking the boy's hair to soothe him.

There were a few quiet sniffles as the boy's hands only clung tighter to Alucard's shirt but, for the most part, it seemed he was okay.

"Let's head back up and get him in front of a fireplace. It's freezing down here." You suggested and both Hector and Alucard looked at you and nodded.

By the time you reached the lift again, it occurred to you that it was still hammering it down with rain and all of you were drenched already except for the boy.

"Stay near me."

Now that you weren't focusing your magic on finding the boy, you could use it to shield you all from the rain. And so, you lifted an hand up over your head and held the rain in place above you, creating an invisible umbrella over all of you. Cezar, however, seemed to enjoy the rain and ran out into it the moment you reached the top of the lift again.

You quickly made your way back into the castle and headed for the biggest fireplace you could find before lighting it with your magic. Alucard placed the boy down in front of it and sat beside him for a moment in his soaked clothes.

"Better?"

The boy nodded and sniffled the last of his tears, finally calming down now that he was safe again.

"You two go and get changed out of your wet clothes, I'll stay with him until you come back."

It was clear that none of you had any intention of leaving the child alone again until he was sleeping soundly in his room. So, you and Hector took your leave and quickly headed off to change so that Alucard would be able to do the same as soon as possible.

Once you were done, Hector turned to you, "I'll go sort dinner out. The stew is probably ruined now so I'll see what else I can cook quickly. You go back to Alucard and the boy, sit in front of the fire and warm up."

You smiled and kissed his cheek before heading off back to the others.

Alucard was still quietly sitting there in his wet clothes, clearly uncomfortable but refusing to leave the boy alone. Just seeing it brought a smile to your face and you walked over, placing a hand on his shoulder which brought his attention to you.

His brows furrowed and he asked, "Where's Hector?"

"Making dinner. Go change, I'll sit with him."

His face softened into a subtle smile and he nodded as he climbed to his feet, "I won't be long."

As he walked away, you took his place sitting beside the boy. He was just staring at the flames with his arms wrapped around his legs. Cezar was fast asleep by the fire, his small snores were the only sound other than the crackling of flames.

"What's your name?" You asked and the boy turned his head to you.

You sighed, "I know you can't speak it but maybe you can write it?"

The boy's expression only fell further and he looked down, shaking his head.

_So he doesn't know how to read or write._

"Then, maybe we could give you a new one? If you would like?"

His little eyes lit up and he smiled, nodding his head.

"Okay so, how about when Hector and Alucard return we can start coming up with ideas and if you like the name you can nod?"

His smiled widened again and he nodded eagerly, scooting closer to you. You smiled and put an arm around him.

You sat like that for a little while until Alucard came back and then, a little while more until Hector was done with dinner. Over dinner you had explained your idea to find the boy a name and, once you had all had your fill of food, you headed back to the fireplace to begin.

"How about... Damien?" Alucard suggested but the boy just shook his head.

Hector hummed in thought for a moment, "What about Dimitris? It was very popular back in Rhodes."

Again, the boy shook his head.

"Maybe Louis?" You suggested, but again were met with the shake of his head.

This went on for a few more minutes until you finally found something he seemed to like.

"Alexander?"

The boy smiled and nodded, seeming pleased with the suggestion.

"Well then, Alexander it is." Alucard announced pleased to have finally found a name that the boy was happy with.

After that, you all sat around the fire until the boy fell asleep. It hadn't taken long for his tired eyes to fall shut under the cosy warmth of the fire.

"I'll take him up to bed." Alucard spoke quietly, so not to wake Alexander and carefully scooped him up into his arms.

He took him away, leaving you and Hector alone by the fire. You were only alone for a few minutes, just quietly sitting together as you waited for Alucard to return. A lot had happened today from Alucard's drunken outburst this morning to that little game of hide and seek, then losing the boy and finding him again only to wind up giving him a name.

You sighed and lied down on the floor, enjoying the warmth of the fire as Hector smiled at you affectionately before lying beside you. You turned your heads towards each other but, before you could speak, approaching footsteps caused you both to sit back up.

"Alucard?" You questioned as he walked into the room, his expression stoic once again.

The moment you spoke his name, however, he just sat down not too far from the two of you and looked at the ground, "I'm sorry."

That was all he said, his only words as he sat there looking broken once again. You had seen the dark aura that surrounded him, you knew the pain that consumed him but you were still unsure of what had caused him such turmoil in the first place.

You and Hector both stood up and moved closer to him, sitting beside him as he began to break down. He mumbled another quiet sorry as his eyes welled up. He seemed determined to hold his tears back until you pulled him to you and wrapped your arms around him, that was when his tears finally began to fall.

You carded your fingers through his hair and rubbed circles into his back as he silently sobbed his heart out, hands gripping the back of your clothes. After a quiet moment, you looked to Hector, who seemed as heartbroken as you to see Alucard in this state.

It was clear in that moment that the two of you had grown to care about the half-vampire a great deal since your arrival at the castle and, in such a short time, you had finally managed to get him to open up to you. Even if only a little.

Hector scooted closer and sat behind Alucard, who was still clinging to you as he cried. Then, he too reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. The two of you wanted to remind him that he wasn't alone, that he didn't have to suffer like this by himself. After a while, Hector rested his head against Alucard as he wrapped his arms around the two of you. What had been a comforting hug between two then became a comforting hug between three.

He cried for a good few minutes but neither you nor Hector moved. You just sat there in your little huddle, trying to make him feel better as you hugged him tightly.

When his silent sobs turned into silent sniffles as his trembling body began to still, you and Hector moved a little to give him some space. When he lifted his head from your shoulder, allowing his hair to fall into his face as if trying to hide his puffy eyes and glistening tears, your heart broke just a little bit more.

"Do you want to stay with us tonight? You- You just look like you don't want to be alone." Hector offered, seemingly understanding at least some of the pain Alucard was feeling.

Alucard simply wiped his tears and cast his eyes to the floor as if he couldn't bear to meet either of your eyes, "No. I don't want to be a bother to you."

Your eyes softened as you heard his shaky voice and you tilted his head to you, forcing him to look up at you, "Alucard. You could never be a bother to either of us. Go get ready for bed and come to our room, okay?"

He looked into your eyes, seeing the sincerity they held, and nodded before climbing back to his feet and heading off to his room. You and Hector shared one last worried look before following and heading to your room.

Once you were in your nightgowns and cosily tucked into bed, you began to wonder if Alucard was really going to come or not. As the minutes passed, you sat up and began to get out of bed to go and check on him. Only, before your feet could touch the ground, there was a quiet knock at the door and the handle turned.

When the door was hesitantly pushed aside, Alucard stood there in his nightgown. He had even brought a pillow with him. You smiled and scooted to the side, leaving a space between you and Hector as you patted the bed.

Alucard hesitated again but, after a moment, walked in and closed the door behind him. Then, he climbed in between you. There was plenty of room in such a large bed so it wasn't too much of a squeeze and, once he was settled between you, you lied back down and pulled the blankets over you.

"Goodnight boys." You spoke through a yawn, turning so that you were facing the two of them as you closed your eyes.

"Goodnight." Hector returned with a soft voice, somewhat soothing Alucard's stiff body as he finally relaxed between the two of you.

Another tear rolled down his cheek as he lied there between you and, despite what happened the last time he shared a bed with two others, he felt almost safe.

"Thank you." His voice was so quiet that it was barely there, and yet, you heard it.

You reached an arm out and took his hand, entwining your fingers before giving a little squeeze and, little did you know it, that small gesture meant the world to him.


	8. Feeling Things

When Alucard awoke, he went into a panic. Feeling the two bodies lying either side of him dug something up that he had been trying to bury for quite some time now and, as he looked at you and Hector, all he saw were the bodies of Sumi and Taka.

Then, those faces changed back to your own, only blood was gushing from your necks as you lied there with your eyes open, completely unmoving. It had happened again. He was alone again. Or so he thought as he began to hyperventilate, clutching his heaving chest and feeling as though he were about to die.

Then, there was the feeling of a gentle hand on his back, pulling him back to reality.

"Alucard? Look at me, calm down. Please." You begged, trying to keep your voice calm in hopes of calming him.

When his eyes finally focused and his erratic breathing began to slow down, you let out a sigh of relief. His shaky eyes flitted to you, the icy fear within them melting the moment they saw you. You were okay. Then, his head snapped to Hector who was sitting to the other side of him, looking just as worried as you.

"What happened?" He asked, bringing a hand up to delicately brush stray strands of hair away from Alucard's face.

Alucard looked forwards once again, catching his breath as he calmed himself down only to feel tears building up all over again. As they began to roll down his cheeks, he lied back down and covered his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He mumbled.

You and Hector exchanged a glance and lied back down beside him, both facing him from only inches away.

"It's alright." Hector soothed, placing a hand over Alucard's arm.

Then, it was your turn to reassure him, "You don't have anything you need to apologise for."

After a moment, Alucard moved his hands away from his face but still couldn't seem to bring himself to look either of you in the eye.

"If you're not ready to tell us then you don't have to, but know that we are here to listen when you are." Hector sighed, this thumb gently rubbing over the skin of Alucard's arm.

A silent moment passed while you all lied there until Alucard finally spoke, "It happened a few months before the two of you arrived."

You and Hector focused your full attention on him, ready to hear what he had to say but he paused again. He looked up at the ceiling, face looking somehow both full of sorrow but also void of emotion. Then, he took in a deep breath and continued.

"Their names were Sumi and Taka. They came here hoping to learn to hunt and kill the vampires who took their home... They were kind and full of hope. Their passion to take back their lives was admirable... but they grew impatient and had their trust in me faltered."

He went quiet again, his voice breaking ever so slightly as yet another tear dripped down the side of his face.

"They came to my bed and, when I was at my most vulnerable, they tried to kill me."

Silence yet again as you and Hector took in the trauma he spoke of, finally understanding why he found it so difficult to trust you when you first arrived. You just wanted to hug him again, to hold him and tell him everything was alright but, instead, you reached out and wiped his tears away with your thumb.

"Is that how you got the scars on your arm? From them? I- I'm sorry, I saw them before but I didn't want to ask in case you didn't want to talk about it." Your voice was careful, hesitant, you were unsure of whether you should have asked about them or even brought them up.

He turned his head to you, his golden hair bunching on the pillow beside you as he nodded, "They're not just on my arms. They're everywhere. My arms, legs, chest, back. The scars that haunt me are on every inch of my body just reminding me what they did... and what I did to them."

Hector tenderly turned Alucard's face towards him and tried to offer him a reassuring smile, "It wasn't your fault. None of it was. They hurt you, they tried to kill you. You did what you had to Alucard. You're not the one to blame."

"I- I just wish it could have turned out differently. Maybe if I hadn't tried to delay their teaching then they might have believed me and returned to their home safely. I... I just didn't want to be alone anymore..." He broke down all over again, his hands once again coming up to catch his tears.

"You're not alone, Alucard. You never will be again, I promise you." With your words, he turned back to you with a sad smile.

Hector wrapped an arm around him and hugged him tight, "We're not going anywhere."

You too leaned closer, resting your head on Alucard's shoulder. The three of you sat in silence for a moment until Alucard's tears stopped falling. Then, Hector decided it was his turn.

"I went through something similar... when I was being held prisoner at Carmilla's castle. There was a woman, a vampire. Lenore. She tricked me, manipulated me into thinking she cared about me when all she wanted was my loyalty."

It surprised you to hear Hector speak her name, especially when you knew the sheer mention of her made him feel sick to his stomach. Alucard too seemed surprised that Hector was sharing his experience with him. He didn't know what exactly had happened before you wound up at his castle but he knew it was bad, he could see the pain reflecting in both of your eyes, especially Hector's. A pain that mirrored his own. It was one of the reasons he let you stay and the main reason he gave Hector a chance in the first place.

"She tricked me into sleeping with her and turned me into a slave. A pet." Hector spat and you could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"I'm sorry." Alucard sighed but nonetheless sounded grateful that Hector also trusted him enough to confide in him as he had just moments before.

Hector shook his head and sat up, climbing out of the bed, "It doesn't matter now. What happened, happened. What matters right now is that we're safe and we're away from there. No to mention, we have each other and Alexander. None of us are alone, not anymore."

You climbed out of the bed just after, following Hector in getting dressed. Alucard smiled, knowing that you were not like Sumi and Taka but more like Trevor and Sypha. You were his friends, his companions, and you weren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Adrian."

When he spoke, both you and Hector turned to him looking confused and so, he explained, "It's my name. My birth name. I think- I think I want to use it again."

You both smiled and nodded before going back to getting dressed. Adrian left to give you some privacy, although neither of you minded his presence there. When you were done, he was already dressed and making breakfast for everyone, including a little bowl for Cezar.

By the time Alexander and Cezar came down to the kitchen, seemingly following the smell of a deliciously cooked breakfast, everything was neatly laid out on the table just waiting for you to eat it. The boy smiled and sat down at the table, noticing the brighter atmosphere surrounding the rest of you.

Once you had all eaten, Adrian went fishing for dinner. He took Alexander with him as the boy seemed eager to lend a hand and go on an outing. Not that you could blame him, being cooped up inside this castle, no matter how large it is, can be a bit much. He will surely enjoy the trip and you had no doubt that they'd come home with enough fish for dinner.

When they left, you and Hector went to the study. Cezar followed at Hector's heels, happy to follow his master around once again after looking after Alexander for so long.

Hector used the magic you had taught him to light the fire, warming away the draft that had crept in over the night, while you browsed the shelves for a good book to read.

"I'm glad Alu- Adrian is doing better. Last night and this morning seemed to help." Hector stated, pulling his shoes off to warm his feet by the fire.

You smiled, "Me too. I'm glad we could provide at least some comfort to him."

When you found a book that piqued your interest, you walked over and sat on the floor by Hector. Cezar was already in his lap, tail wagging happily as Hector scratched behind his ears.

"y/n."

Sensing the seriousness in Hector's voice when he said your name, you closed the book you had only just opened and turned to him. Your eyes alone beckoned him to continue and so, with a sigh, he did.

"I think... I think I'm feeling things I shouldn't be."

Your brows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

He looked away from you, almost as if he was afraid to look you in the eyes, "I love you, you know that but-"

Another pause as he sucked in a breath.

"Nothing is going to make me think you love me any less, nor will anything you're about to say change how I feel about you." You reassured and, although his tense muscles relaxed a little, he still seemed somewhat uneasy.

He hung his head, curtains of silver hair covering his honeyed face, "I think I'm feeling things- something- for Alucard... I know it's completely wrong and I shouldn't be. I mean, he's a man and a vampire and- and just a friend but-"

"I know what you mean." You sighed, leaning your head onto his shoulder.

He looked down at you, somewhat startled, "Y- You do?"

You nodded and reached for his hand, entwining your fingers with his as you continued, "He's charming and broken... just like us. Handsome, we're both jealous of his hair, not to mention he's the sweetest little vampire I've ever met."

"S- So you feel it too?"

Hector seemed to feel less guilty about his straying thoughts and feelings when you admitted to being in the same boat as him. Even going as far as to listing the reasons you too were feeling something for the vampire.

"I don't love him. Not like I do you, not yet. But... I won't deny that even I've noticed this _thing_ between the three of us."

Hector breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank God. I thought you were going to think I was going insane."

You chuckled and reached for your book, turning your body so that you were sitting with your back against Hector, "It's not insane to care about someone, Hector."

The two of you sat quietly for a while. You just read your book, enjoying the tales about dragons and knights. Hector seemed more at ease but it was clear he still had a lot to think about. He wasn't, it seemed, as open to these things he was feeling. It was clear he wanted to at least try and make sense of things or perhaps he was simply allowing his thoughts a rest as he watched the crackling fire.

Not long after lunch, Adrian and the boy had returned with plenty of fish for dinner.

"You should have seen him, Alexander is a natural." Adrian beamed, ruffling the boy's hair as he placed the fish down on the table.

Of course, Alexander just grinned and, unexpectedly ran over to hug you. It wasn't so strange for him to hug you but it was strange for him to hug you seemingly without reason. Perhaps it was his new way of greeting you upon his return as he couldn't do it verbally. Whatever the reason, he soon also eagerly hugged Hector and then ran off to play with Cezar.

"He seems happy." Hector stated with a smile as he pulled out a chair to sit down.

You took the fish and put them into the sink in order to wash them before you would prepare them for dinner.

"He liked it. Going out, doing something new. It's good for him." Adrian stated, wiping down the table with a cloth to clean up the mess he had made by initially putting the fish there.

Once you finished cleaning the fish, you decided to leave them in the sink for a moment to talk to the two men who sat chatting around the table. You pulled out a chair and sat with them, turning to Adrian with your arms resting on the table.

He just looked at you for a moment, seemingly questioning what you were looking at him for but, before he could ask, you turned to Hector.

"I have a proposal." You declared, looking back at Adrian and then from him to Hector once more.

They both looked confused, looking at each other to see if the other knew what you were going on about but, when clearly neither of them had a clue, they looked back at you.

"Um... What is it?" Adrian asked, tilting his head curiously towards you.

"Well, a proposal and a confession." You admitted, although they both simply looked at you with the same blank expressions as before whilst waiting for you to elaborate.

You sighed and turned to Hector, "You know what we talked about earlier? In the study?"

He nodded slowly, eyes almost worriedly snapping to Adrian and then back to you.

"I have an idea," Your head then turned to Adrian, "How do you feel about sharing our bed again tonight?"

He furrowed his brows but answered nonetheless, "Well, I wouldn't hate it. Sleeping beside the two of you last night was probably the best sleep I've had in months. It was... comforting."

"I'm glad it was nice for you," You smiled sincerely, "But this time I was thinking maybe we could... make things more intimate?"

It seemed to take him a moment to catch on to what you were implying, the cogs turning in his brain until finally, something clicked.

"O- Of course, if you don't want to then we don't have to. I know you probably don't have anything good to associate with that kind of thing after what you went through and- God, maybe it was a terrible idea to suggest it. It's just that Hector and I like you, we really like you, and we want to understand just how far those feelings go." You rambled, suddenly worried that it was not a good idea to bring this idea up. You didn't want to make Adrian or Hector uncomfortable but you wanted to at least explore this, especially after hearing Hector's own feelings earlier on.

Adrian's hands settled on your shoulders, thumbs rubbing gently against you as if to soothe you, "It's alright."

Then, he looked at Hector, their eyes met for a moment before he lifted his hands from you and looked back into yours, "I- I trust you. Both of you. So, if this is something you both want, then I won't reject the offer. Anyway, I also have some things I want to confirm."

The two of you turned to Hector, waiting for his input on the matter with expecting eyes.

He breathed in, then out, before smiling softly at the two of you with a slight nod of his head, "I want to as well."

Just like that, the three of you had made your decision. Whether you would go through with it or not was another matter.


	9. Three

The rest of the day felt like years, hours dragging on. Surprisingly, although the three of you- particularly Hector -were a little more awkward than usual, none of you brought up what you spoke of again. It was business as usual. Well, almost.

There was a feeling in your stomach, an excitement, a fear, a feeling you were sure the others were also experiencing. Butterflies that just wouldn't go away. Worry that this might end badly. Would Adrian really be okay? Would this only make things weird between the three of you? That was what you were worried about.

Of course, however, nighttime soon arrived.

You and Hector had headed up before Adrian, allowing him a moment to himself, after tucking Alexander into bed, in order to decide whether he would be joining you or not. You dressed for bed, in your nightgowns as you waited for him, wondering if he really was going to come.

When the door quietly opened and his almost hesitant footsteps walked in, closing the door just as quietly after, you both sat up.

Adrian met your eyes, smiling softly as he took in a deep breath and walked over to accompany you on the bed. He crawled up from the end, sitting on his knees in front of the two of you. Hector reached out for his hand, squeezing it reassuringly in his own whilst you placed a gentle hand against his cheek.

"Are you sure about this?"

He only smiled and brought up his hand to cup your own, fingers delicately wrapping around it as he turned his head to press his soft lips against it.

"I am."

When his lips left your hand, his attention turned to Hector. He reached out, running his fingers through Hector's hair. He just closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. Your hand was soon on Adrian's cheek again, turning his face towards you so that you could kiss him, pulling him closer to the two of you.

For a while, it was just like this. Gentle touches and tender kisses shared between the three of you. The pace was slow, comfortable. But, as the minutes passed, you all began to grow more eager to move on.

It was Hector who first pulled at Adrian's nightgown, helping him remove it whilst you took off your own.

When Adrian said that he had scars all over his body, you hadn't imagined this. They were everywhere. A dark red burnt into his skin, a permanent mark of all the horrors he had been through. You ran your hand over them, starting with the one from his father. He looked away, as if ashamed of them. You took his hand again as the three of you moved, allowing Adrian to lie down against the bed. He sucked in a breath when your lips delicately began to kiss the scars along his arm, slowly working your way up to his shoulder.

"You're so beautiful." You whispered into his ear before kissing him again.

Hector then took over, his hand taking Adrian's most vulnerable organ in his hand. Adrian hissed, eyes closing as Hector began to stroke him whilst kissing along his torso, working his way down to his stomach.

His first moan was such a pleasant sound. So rich and sweet, like a fine dessert wine. It only made both you and Hector want to hear so many more.

It wasn't long before Hector was pleasuring Adrian with his mouth, sucking his already hardened cock with such tenderness. Nothing about this was going to be rough or rushed. You were going to take your time. To enjoy this for as long as you could but also to explore those feelings you were having.

Whilst Hector continued to work on Adrian's lower half, you found yourself kissing him again. Swallowing his little moans and groans for a moment before you lips travelled along his jaw and down onto his neck. From there, you continued to leave little open-mouthed kisses along his collarbone and torso until your mouth was around his nipple, tongue rolling over it before your teeth lightly teased the sensitive skin.

Adrian hummed in pleasure, throwing his head back against the pillow as he bit into his bottom lip.

"H- Hector." He whined, hands carefully pulling the other man off of him before he could go too far and back up so that their lips could meet again.

As the two of them kissed, you made your way between Adrian's legs. You pressed your lips to his thigh, softly kissing the skin there. Whilst your hand slowly ran up and down his leg, fingers lightly smoothing over his scars, you began to suck and bite little marks into his pale skin.

Hector was the one to gather your attention, his hand on your shoulder as he led you to trade places with Adrian. Now you were the one lying beneath them, reaching up to place a hand on each of their cheeks as they smiled down at you. Hector kissed your hand and then his lips began to travel down your arm, his soft lips making sure to savour every inch of your skin. All the while, Adrian's head dived down to your chest.

Never did you think you would ever lie with two men at once and feel such love and care in each and every touch. And yet, that was exactly what this was. Being with them, both of them, brought you a feeling of joy you had never felt before. You loved Hector and he loved you but there was a chance you both loved Adrian too. Or, that you could grow to love him in the near future.

Now Adrian's teeth were on your nipple, being careful not to use his fangs as he lightly bit down and tugged just was you were doing to him only moments ago. Hector soon joined him, his lips tending to your other breast once he was finished with your arm. The feeling alone had your toes curling as you hands ran through their hair. On one side, long, silky golden locks ran elegantly through for fingers. On the other, shorter, wavy silver strands. There was a comfort it in, their hair. A comfort in touching it, running your fingers through it.

You could no longer hold back your voice, allowing moans to slip from your lips as Hector's fingers travelled down, soon pushing into you. With a gasp, your grip on their hair tightened ever so slightly, not enough to pull but enough for them to notice.

Adrian came back, kissing you again. Your tongue was soon in his mouth and his in yours, swirling about as the kiss deepened. The feeling of his fangs occasionally scraping against your tongue was unexpectedly pleasant, it had a danger to it and yet, you never felt any less than safe and comfortable.

When he pulled away, Hector was retracting his fingers from within you, clearly now ready for something more.

"How are we going to do this?" Adrian questioned, kissing your forehead affectionately before turning to Hector for answers.

The answer he received, however, was one neither you nor he had seen coming. Hector simply took his fingers, that were now coated with your own natural lubrication, and began to push one into himself. You and Adrian jumped into worry the moment his face scrunched up in something that wasn't quite pain, and were by his side in seconds.

"You don't have to do that." Adrian reassured but Hector didn't stop, instead, he just rested his head against Adrian's shoulder.

When he put in another, he groaned, "I- I want to."

Adrian looked down at him so softly, wrapping an arm around him before turning his head back to you. You simply offered him a gentle smile and began rubbing soothing circles into Hector's back. When he was finished, or had simply decided it was enough, he pulled his fingers from himself and kissed you.

Soon, he had guided you back to your position on the bed so that you were lying beneath him. His hand cupped your cheek, thumb lightly stroking over your skin as he lined himself up with you. You nodded and he pushed into you with a groan but, before moving, he turned to Adrian and reached out for him to come closer.

Adrian hesitantly approached, taking Hector's hand as he reached the two of you.

"Don't act so clueless, you've laid with a man before." Hector chuckled, not bothering to hide the way his cheeks blushed at his own words.

"But I've never..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was already pushing himself into Hector, who's face once again turned to one of discomfort. 

Adrian kissed his shoulder, "Does it hurt?"

"J- Just uncomfortable." Hector admitted, opening his eyes to look down at you from where you were beneath him.

You smiled up at him, comforting him with a kiss.

After a quiet moment of adjusting, Hector spoke again, "Y- You can move now."

And so, he did. As Adrian began to roll his hips into Hector, the latter consequently rolled his hips into you. The three of you let out sounds of pleasure. Your arms wrapped around Hector's shoulders whilst his hands gripped the sheets beside you. Adrian's hand soon found it's way to Hector's, their fingers twining together whilst the blonde kissed your hand.

This feeling was like one you had never felt before. Both physically and emotionally. You and Adrian felt good. _This_ felt good. But Hector, he was clearly experiencing something different altogether.

From the looks of it he couldn't muster any words, only moans as the three of you rocked back and forth together. Tears had gathered in the corner of his eyes but it was clear they weren't tears of pain.

You kissed him whilst Adrian peppered kisses across his back, lips brushing against his honeyed skin and toned muscles.

"I'm going to- to-"

You quietened Hector with a kiss, letting him know that it was okay for him to finish inside you. A few more of those gentle thrusts and he came, spilling his load into you as he moaned into your mouth. Not even seconds later, Adrian pulled out and came over Hector's back, your orgasm followed soon after.

The three of you collapsed onto the bed, lying beside each other and panting heavily. Hector remained between you, lying on his front so not to dirty the sheets any further with what was on his back.

"Thank you." Adrian was the first to speak, smiling at the two of you as he did so.

You simply smiled back, knowing now that whatever this was between the three of you was something real. It was also something none of you had ever expected to happen, especially when you once knew him all those years ago.

When you woke up the next day, you were pleased to see the two naked men lying beside you. Hector was snuggled up into Adrian's chest, you had an arm hanging over the pair of them. Legs tangled together, bodies warming each other. This was cosy, it was comfortable and most of all, it was how you wanted to spend the rest of your mornings until the day you died.

Adrian was the next to wake, looking at you with a smile and then down at Hector. He began to run his slender fingers through Hector's hair, gentle enough so not to wake him. The two of you just silently lied there, allowing Hector to sleep just a little while longer since it was clear that last night had truly worn him out.

When he too finally awoke with a sleepy smile, Adrian kissed his forehead before climbing out of bed.

"You two stay here, I'll go prepare breakfast."

You shook your head, "We'll all go prepare breakfast, together."

Your statement may have been true about the matter at hand but it was clear to all of you what the true meaning behind it was. You were going to do things together from now on. You were going to stay together. The three of you, like this. This was the new normal, this was what you wanted. From the way they both looked at you with such love in their eyes, you knew that they both wanted this too.

"Very well, we shall all go make breakfast. But first, perhaps a bath?"


End file.
